“'Normal Life' looks at the current moment in trans politics, understanding that it is often assumed that trans resistance strategies should mimic the lesbian and gay legal rights frameworks that have become so visible in recent decades.” ShouldLooksMomentsUnderstandingRightsGayNormalStrategyCurrentsDecadesResistanceVisibleFrameworkTransNormal LifeLegal Rights Author:Dean Spade
“I argue that legal equality has failed resistance movements aimed at transforming material conditions of violence, and that trans activists should take a decidedly different approach.” ShouldDifferentViolenceConditionsMovementMaterialsApproachArguingResistanceActivistTransformingTransDifferent Approach Author:Dean Spade
“I am arguing that it is a mistake for trans activists to focus our resources and attention on winning inclusion in legal equality frameworks, such as anti-discrimination laws and hate crimes laws, that will not provide relief from the life-shortening conditions trans populations are facing. Winning legal equality - getting the law to cast us as victims of discrimination who the state will protect - will not support our survival.” StatesLawHateWinningAttentionMistakeSupportFocusConditionsCrimeProtectSurvivalResourcesVictimCastsPopulationArguingDiscriminationReliefActivistInclusionFrameworkTransHate CrimeAnti Discrimination Author:Dean Spade
“Instead of focusing on what the law says about trans people, which is really what the law is saying about itself as a protector of trans people, we should be focused on what systems of law and administration do to trans people and our interventions should aim to dismantle harmful, violent systems such as criminal punishment and immigration enforcement.” PeopleShouldLawAimFocusedCriminalsPunishmentViolentImmigrationAdministrationEnforcementInterventionTransProtector Author:Dean Spade
“I wrote Normal Life using concepts that have been helpful to me, and hoping to offer those as accessible tools for thinking differently about the pitfalls trans resistance faces, in particular the temptation to focus on legal equality and the limitations of that approach, and the alternative approaches being taken by racial and economic justice focused trans activists.” ThinkingHas BeensFacesJusticeTakenFocusEconomicParticularOffersNormalApproachConceptsToolsFocusedResistanceTemptationAlternativesLimitationHelpfulActivistTransNormal LifePitfallsEconomic JusticeThinking Differently Author:Dean Spade
“Gender segregated shelters are inaccessible to many trans people, and trans women in particular are often forced to choose between going into a men's shelter where they face enormous danger, or remaining street homeless and facing the violence, harassment, arrest, and exposure risks of that.” PeopleMenFacesViolenceRiskStreetsDangerParticularGenderEnormousShelterHomelessExposureTransHarassmentInaccessible Author:Dean Spade
“There are sharply different, competing models of what trans advocacy looks like - those that seek to follow the path laid out by the most visible and well-funded lesbian and gay rights organizations in the US and those that seek to use grassroots strategies, center issues of race and poverty, and aim to dismantle harmful institutions and conditions to redistribute life chances.” WellsLooksDifferentUseChanceRacePovertyPathIssuesRightsConditionsGayModelsOrganizationAimInstitutionsStrategyVisibleCompetingTransGay RightsAdvocacyGrassroots Author:Dean Spade
“Military inclusion has never been a central demand from trans populations, who consistently name criminalization, immigration enforcement, poverty and joblessness as top priorities.” NamesPovertyMilitaryDemandPopulationPrioritiesImmigrationInclusionConsistentlyEnforcementJoblessnessTransTop Priorities Author:Dean Spade
“As trans advocacy has institutionalized and developed, the context of the undemocratic nature of US non-profits and the ways that white, wealthy individuals can intensely influence the directions of advocacy have increasingly come to the surface for trans activists.” WayIndividualWhiteInfluenceProfitSurfaceWealthyActivistTransAdvocacyNon Profit Author:Dean Spade
“Trans activism in the US has most frequently been grassroots, centered on poverty and criminalization, and often oppositional to the exclusionary "mainstreaming" threads in gay and lesbian politics and feminist politics.” PovertyGayFeministActivismThreadTransGrassroots Author:Dean Spade
“Trans rights formation that mimics the models and strategies of the lesbian and gay rights framework is growing, and there are many significant strategy disagreements between those building that work and those doing racial and economic justice centered trans work.” JusticeGrowingRightsEconomicBuildingGayModelsStrategySignificantFrameworkDisagreementFormationTransGay RightsEconomic Justice Author:Dean Spade
“More conservative advocacy work often encourages portrayals of trans people as people who deserve rights. Deservingness, of course, corresponds to national racial, gender and ability norms.” PeopleCoursesAbilityRightsDeserveConservativeGenderNormTransAdvocacyPortrayal Author:Dean Spade
“One particular debate that I have seen play out again and again is whether trans people who have more traditional gender expressions or who "pass" more should be the ones who are represented. A recent advocacy guide focused on advocating around trans health care access produced by the largest trans advocacy organization in the US instructs readers that advocacy will be more successful if the message is delivered by people who pass as non-trans men and women.” PeopleIfsMenShouldPlayCareSuccessfulParticularExpressionReaderMessagesMen And WomenOrganizationGenderFocusedGuidesAccessDebateTraditionalHealth CareAgain And AgainTransAdvocatingAdvocacy Author:Dean Spade
